Common Friend
by YinYangWriter
Summary: Dracon shoots Broadway one night, but someone comes to his aid. Who is this person and what is their connection to Tony Dracon?
1. Chapter 1

**From the team who brought you WitchHunt, here's our new story. We do not own **_**Gargoyles**_**. Basic plot comes from gargoyleslady (now Shadowchild28) and the OC's belong to both of us.**

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><p>Angela and Broadway glided through the night sky. After a meal graciously provided by a grateful store owner whom the duo had saved from thieves and a movie, the two of them were wrapping up their date and heading back to the castle.<p>

"Did you have fun, Angela?" Broadway asked.

Angela smiled. "I did," she answered. She giggled. "That store owner seemed surprised to see us together. You would think that he never thought gargoyles were anything other than base creatures."

"You sure changed his view," said Broadway with a chuckle.

"It was kind of him to provide us a meal," said Angela.

Broadway grinned and looked below them.

"What is it?" asked Angela, catching the glow in his eyes as he stared down. She looked down as well. There were several men standing in a darkened alley. Angela caught the glint of something metallic. "Weapons?" she asked.

"Let's check it out," said Broadway.

Angela looked to the east. "Broadway, it will soon be dawn."

"We'll make it quick," said Broadway, diving down to the closest rooftop to get a better view of what was happening below.

Angela made a face, trying to decide if she should follow or leave him. She followed him. Goliath would never forgive her if something happened to Broadway and she just left him.

Landing next to Broadway, Angela peeked down into the alley.

"Gun deal," muttered Broadway. He hissed. "I know that guy."

Angela turned to where Broadway was looking. There was an African-American man wearing rectangular framed glasses. They both recognized him as Tony Dracon's right-hand man, Glasses.

"If Glasses is here, Dracon must be nearby," said Broadway.

"If we are going to stop them, we should do it now," said Angela.

"You're right," said Broadway, vaulting himself over the side.

The men looked up when Broadway roared and dropped to the ground, taking out two of them with just a flick of his tail. Angela dropped down as well and threw another in a dumpster. Glasses drew his gun to shoot Angela, but Broadway knocked it out of his hand and flipped him onto his back, knocking him senseless.

"That's that," said Broadway, dusting off his hands. "Talk about it being easy. These guys didn't even put up a fight."

"I will find a payphone and call the police," said Angela. "There is one nearby."

"Okay, I'll wait for you on the building we jumped down from," said Broadway.

Angela hurried off and Broadway looked for something to tie the men up with. He heard something behind him. Broadway whipped around to the sound.

"Hey, Broadway," came the gravelly voice of Tony Dracon.

Dracon was holding his gun in his hand. Before Broadway could react, Dracon shot him twice in the chest. Broadway roared in pain, his eyes flashing white before he collapsed to the ground.

"Now there's one less gargoyle to worry about," said Dracon. "Glasses! Get up!" Dracon walked over to Glasses and gave him a good kick in the side. "Let's go. We have business to attend to."

Glasses groaned and got up. "Sure thing, boss," he said.

The two humans left, leaving Broadway with the other thugs. Broadway struggled to his feet and tried to find Angela. He was too weak to climb to the roof of the building where they planned to meet. The pain was something Broadway couldn't imagine. He would much rather have had Hakon hit him in the chest with his mace than to have had Dracon shoot him. Now he knew what Elisa felt like when he shot her.

Broadway, disoriented and relying on survival instinct, began to search for a place where he could sleep and wandered down the alley. He did not get far before he simply collapsed.

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><p>Angela waited at their designated meeting place, but Broadway never came. <em>Where could he have gotten to?<em> Angela thought. _This is not like him to leave without me._

Deciding that something happened to him, Angela began to search from the air. What she found shocked her. Not far from where they were supposed to meet was a human female loading Broadway into a red pickup truck. Broadway was wounded, blood seeping from two holes in his chest. The human threw a tarp over his body and jumped into the driver's seat.

_What should I do?_ Angela asked herself. _The sun will soon rise and I will not make it back in time. If I try to confront this human, she may hurt me. For all I know, she hurt Broadway._

Angela knew she could do nothing if she just stood there looking stupid. She was alone and she knew that she would need help getting Broadway home even if the human meant her no harm. Angela got a good look at the license plate number of the truck. At least she could tell Elisa and she could find out who owned the truck. Then they would know where to go to rescue Broadway tomorrow night.

Angela turned and glided home as quickly as the winds of Manhattan could carry her.

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><p><strong>So far so good, yes? Review and tell us what you think.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Back at the castle, Angela found Goliath and quickly told him what happened. She was speaking so fast that Goliath had to take his daughter by the shoulders and tell her to calm down and speak slowly.

Angela steadied herself before trying to explain what happened again. "We were on our way home. Broadway spotted some humans making a weapons trade. We both recognized one of the humans as the one they call 'Glasses'. We stopped them and Broadway told me to go to a payphone and call the police. He was going to tie up the humans and meet me on the rooftop. When I came back, Broadway was not waiting for me and Glasses was gone. The other men were still there, but they were not tied up."

Now it was becoming harder for her to keep her voice steady. This was the part that she had not gotten to the first time.

"I searched for Broadway," she said, her voice cracking. "I saw him being loaded into the back of a pickup truck by a human female. Father, Broadway was shot! He looked like he was dead!"

Angela buried her face in her hands and began crying.

"What?" asked Goliath, stunned.

"I don't know what help it will be, but I know the license plate number," said Angela. "Maybe Elisa can find the owner."

Goliath headed inside with Angela following him, still crying. They needed to speak to Elisa. She was the only way that they could find Broadway now.

**Moments Before Angela Finds Broadway**

Making its easy way down the dark streets of Manhattan was a cherry red pickup truck being driven by a young woman with olive skin, thick dark hair that came to her shoulders, and dark eyes. She wore jeans, a red plaid shirt over a tan tank top, a dark red scarf around her neck, and a gold and diamond charm bracelet on her left wrist.

Jaclyn Willows was driving back to her boyfriend's apartment. It had been a long day of running back and forth getting her possessions from Pennsylvania to New York. She had stopped at a burger joint to get something for both of them to eat. Probably the only thing the same about New York was the fast food. McDonald's and Wendy's were pretty common around here. And with her and her boyfriend's schedules, she being a veterinarian assistant and he a male nurse, it was probably the only way they would be able to sit down and have a meal together.

A few drops of rain landed on her windshield before the heavens opened up. Flicking on her windshield wipers, Jaclyn sighed.

"At least I don't have anything in the bed of the truck," she said to herself.

Jaclyn looked at the street signs to see where she was. Manhattan was much bigger than the small town in the country where she grew up and the last thing she wanted to do was miss her street and get lost, especially so late at night. Jaclyn looked at the clock on the dash. So early in the morning, she amended. The sun would be coming up soon.

As she looked for her street sign, Jaclyn caught some movement in an alley. Most New Yorkers would have passed it by without a second glance, but Jaclyn wasn't a New Yorker, not yet anyway. She stopped the truck and put it in reverse. There was something in the alley. A homeless person? No, even if they hadn't a home, they would seek shelter from this rain. Something was wrong.

Jaclyn eased the truck into the alley, the headlights shining on something large. It looked like a monster. It had large wings and a long tail and aqua blue skin. Monster or not, it was hurt and Jaclyn was not someone who would let this pass.

Hopping out of the truck with a heavy flashlight in one hand, Jaclyn walked over to it. Whatever it was was dressed in a simple loincloth. It appeared vaguely human. It was lying face down and the alley was beginning to flood with water. Not sure if it was still alive, Jaclyn kneeled down and checked for a pulse. There was one, but it was faint. Jaclyn put her flashlight down and rolled it over.

"Oh, my God," she muttered in horror, seeing two bullet holes in its chest.

Part of Jaclyn told her to leave it, it was as good as dead, but another part said that she should make an attempt in saving this thing's life.

Coming to a decision, Jaclyn ran back to the truck and got into the driver's seat. She pulled out of the alley before returning, this time rear first. She grabbed a tarp from behind the seat and hurried back to the injured monster. It was big, much bigger than Jaclyn. She would have to be creative to get it onto the back of her truck. Her boyfriend had showed her how easy it could be to move someone larger than herself by using a blanket and dragging them. That's what Jaclyn was going to do. She got the monster onto the tarp. With her first aid kit, she got the wounds patched up, but it was only temporary. Now, how to get it on the back of the truck?

There were some wooden pallets sitting out for the garbage. They appeared sturdy enough. Now she needed something heavy. There was nothing there except for a dumpster that was chained to the building it was next to. Jaclyn smirked. That would be perfect.

After getting back into the truck and maneuvering it in such away that she could use the pallet for a ramp and that the dumpster would keep it propped up and from slipping, Jaclyn dragged the monster onto the back of the truck. She carefully removed the tarp from beneath it and draped it over it to hide it from anyone who might see and keep off the rain.

For some reason, Jaclyn felt like someone was watching her at that moment. She didn't stop to look around. She figured it was just paranoia. She was new to the area and had heard the horror stories about women in back alleys in the dark of night. And the fact that Jaclyn was currently loading a monster into the back of her truck didn't help ease that fear away. She gave a sweeping glance, looking inconspicuous, and jumped into the driver's seat.

Jaclyn drove as fast as she dared back to her boyfriend's apartment.

"Please, God, let the elevator be working," Jaclyn prayed.

Jaclyn raced up the stairs and pounded on the door to her boyfriend's apartment.

The door opened to reveal a drowsy man in his mid-twenties with brown hair and brown eyes. "What?" Spencer Terry asked.

"I need help," said Jaclyn as she removed her dark red scarf from around her neck and tied her hair back with it.

Whether it was Jaclyn's tone or the fact that she was asking for help and not explaining why caused Spencer to begin to worry some.

"What?" he asked.

Jaclyn grabbed Spencer's arm and dragged him out of the apartment and to the stairs. "I found something. It was hurt and I couldn't just leave it there."

"What did you find?" asked Spencer.

"I don't know what it is," said Jaclyn as they ran out into the rain. "I did what I could, but I don't know what to do to help it."

Now Spencer was very curious. He saw that Jaclyn had a blue tarp draped over something large in the back of her truck. He pulled it back and jumped. Spencer looked at Jaclyn and then back at what was lying in the back of the truck.

"Gargoyle," Spencer whispered in awe.

"This's a gargoyle?" asked Jaclyn.

Spencer opened the bed of the truck. "Help me," he said. "We have to get him inside. I don't like this, but what else are we going to do?"

Spencer was deceptively strong for someone of his build. He and Jaclyn managed to get the gargoyle back onto the tarp, into the elevator, and finally into the apartment.

"Man, he's hurtin'," muttered Spencer as he took a look at the gargoyle lying in the middle of the living room.

Jaclyn pushed the coffee table aside and set down Spencer's kit.

"Think we can save him?" she asked.

Spencer looked grimly at the gargoyle before answering. "Between the two of us, we should be able to make him more comfortable."

Jaclyn didn't like that answer.

They cleaned and dressed the wounds as best the could. Both knew that this was only a temporary solution. The gargoyle needed stitches, X-rays, CT scans, a formal emergency room, not a vet assistant and a nurse.

"It doesn't sound like anything hit his lungs or his heart," Spencer said, after taking a listen with the stethoscope. "He's lost a lot of blood though."

Jaclyn sat on the floor beside the gargoyle. She ran her fingers over his brow. "He doesn't seem ferocious," she said after a moment. "He seems. . .sweet."

Spencer started to roll the gargoyle. Jaclyn helped him. His back was unmarked.

"The bullets are still in him," said Jaclyn. She ran her hand over his back. She gasped. "But they are at the surface. We can get them out."

Spencer took a scalpel from his kit and carefully made a small incision. He pinched the skin around the bullet and it popped out as easily as one would pop a pimple. He handed the scalpel to Jaclyn so she could get the other bullet.

".38," said Spencer. "Surprised it didn't do more damage."

"His skin is thicker than a human's," said Jaclyn. "It's more like a hide. It must have slowed the bullets."

"From what I hear, gargoyles are tough," said Spencer. "It takes a lot to take them down and keep them down."

After patching the wounds they made, Jaclyn and Spencer rolled the gargoyle onto his side.

"Just in case he throws up blood, he won't choke on it," said Spencer.

Jaclyn sat by the gargoyle and looked at the clock. She was surprised to see that everything happened in about an hour. She was sure it was more than three.

The gargoyle coughed and struggled for a breath. He began moving around, trying to get up.

"No! Stay still," Jaclyn said, trying to hold him and keep from hurting himself even more. "It's okay," she said as if she were talking to an injured rottweiler. "It's okay."

"Where am I?" he asked.

Jaclyn was surprised to hear that he could talk. "Safe," she answered. Jaclyn ran her hand over his brow again. "Do you know what happened?"

Spencer came over to see how the gargoyle was doing.

"Shot," the gargoyle strained to say, "by Dracon."

Jaclyn's face twisted in horror and fury.

At that moment there was the sound of cracking. Letting out gasp of shock, Jaclyn and Spencer saw that the gargoyle had turned to stone. Jaclyn quickly scooted away and stared at the stone form.

Spencer was the first to say something. "Explains why you don't see them in the daytime. What now?" he asked nervously.

"What do you mean, what now?" asked Jaclyn, a bit annoyed with the question.

"There is a gargoyle laying in the middle of the living room," said Spencer. "I know he needed our help, but I really don't want anyone finding out about this. The last thing I want is Quarrymen showing up at the door."

"Then don't tell anyone," Jaclyn simply said.

Jaclyn rose from her place on the floor and got her coat and keys.

"Where are you going?" asked Spencer.

"I'm going to see the man responsible for this," said Jaclyn.

Spencer stared at Jaclyn. "Are you crazy? Crossing Tony Dracon is a death sentence. He'll kill you!"

Jaclyn opened the door. "He wouldn't dare," she said. She closed the door behind her.

Spencer took a deep breath and sighed heavily. He looked at where his girlfriend was standing a moment ago and then at the gargoyle.

"Looks like it's just you and me, pal," Spencer said to the stone being on the floor.


	3. Chapter 3

When Jaclyn pulled up to the Park Manor, she wasn't sure how she was going to go about doing this. And frankly, she didn't care. She was so angry at Dracon that furious didn't even begin to cover it.

One of Dracon's men, Pal Joey, saw the young woman approaching Dracon's suite.

"Hey, you can't be up here," he said to her.

Jaclyn walked up to Joey and looked him straight in the eye. "Get your boss out here, now," she growled.

Joey was about to open his mouth to tell Jaclyn off when Glasses stepped into the hallway.

"Well, hello, Miss Dracon," Glasses said with a smirk. "Mr. Dracon will be pleased to see you. Joey, leave the girl alone. You don't want the boss coming down on you for harassing his favorite niece."

Joey turned from Glasses to Jaclyn before stepping aside. "Sorry, Miss Dracon," he said. "I hope you can excuse my behavior."

"Yours I can," Jaclyn said as Glasses showed her in.

The two of them walked into the suite and to Dracon's office. Glasses knocked before entering.

"Boss, there's someone to see you," said Glasses.

"Show 'em in," Jaclyn heard Dracon say.

Before Glasses could say she was allowed to go in, Jaclyn walked passed him and into Dracon's office.

Dracon looked at Jaclyn. "Hey, Jaclyn! How's my favorite niece?"

Jaclyn walked up to Dracon and slapped him as hard as she could across the face. "You lowdown, dirty dog!" she snarled before trying to take another swing at Dracon. Dracon managed to grab her wrists to keep her from hitting him. "I can take the embezzling, the racketeering, the arms deals, but you know full well, Tony, that I hate the killing!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Dracon.

"I have a half-dead gargoyle laying on my living room floor," replied Jaclyn. "He told me you shot him!"

Dracon stared at Jaclyn in disbelief. "You found Broadway?" he asked.

"I don't know his name!" yelled Jaclyn. "All I know is that he needed help. You stay away from him, Tony, or so help me, I will make sure you go to jail for a very long time."

"Chill, chill," said Dracon. "Calm down, Jaclyn. You have my word as a Dracon; I won't go near him."

"Good." Jaclyn calmed just a little.

Dracon looked at his niece. He could see that she had been working hard and had possibly been up all night. Her red cheeks contrasted with her pale face, her hair was still tied back with her scarf, meaning that she had been at something before she came here, and there were dark circles around her eyes.

"Now, are you going to stay mad at me or can I show you a little hospitality?" asked Dracon. Jaclyn thought for a moment before smiling faintly. "Great! I'll have my personal chef make you some breakfast and you can sleep in my room. You look tired."

"I've been up all day and all night," said Jaclyn. "I'm moving back to New York."

Dracon raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's a surprise. I thought your mother would have a fit if you came near me again."

"I'm old enough to make my own decisions," said Jaclyn.

"That's my girl," said Dracon.

After Jaclyn left the room, Glasses turned to Dracon. "Should we go after him and finish the job?"

"No," replied Dracon. "I meant it when I said I wouldn't go near him."

Glasses frowned. "Do you really think she'll turn you in?"

"No," Dracon said easily. "She's family. Three generations of Dracons in the business, not one family member has ratted out another. Jaclyn won't be the first. But being family, I'll honor her wishes. Besides, you do not want to mess with that girl. She can be very vicious."

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><p>It was the middle of the afternoon. Spencer was sitting with a mug of coffee between his hands at the kitchen table. Jaclyn had not called or anything since she left early in the morning. Spencer thought that she was insane for going after Dracon. But that was one of the reasons why he liked Jaclyn. Unlike other girls he dated in the past, Jaclyn could take care of herself.<p>

Spencer smirked. "He incurred the full wrath of Jaclyn Willows," he muttered. "He may be a crook, but God help the man."

Spencer could imagine Jaclyn busting down doors and kicking butt of whatever poor lackeys Dracon put in her path. He could just see Jaclyn knocking the snot out of Dracon. The mental image made him snicker.

"She'll be fine," he said after running through the scenario.

Spencer got up and walked into the living room. The gargoyle's status was still the same: stone cold. Spencer had a feeling that nothing was going to happen until the sun went down. He lay down on the sofa and decided to take a nap.

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><p>Elisa had been told what had happened to Broadway. She was grateful that Angela had enough sense to get the license plate number of the truck. The vehicle was a cherry red Ford with a Pennsylvania plate. After a little searching, Elisa found that the truck belonged to a Jaclyn Willows, who had just moved to New York.<p>

Elisa drove over to the apartment building where Jaclyn and someone named Spencer Terry lived. She figured they were probably boyfriend and girlfriend.

"Nothing like a gargoyle to test your relationships," murmured Elisa as she drove.

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><p>Spencer woke to a knock on his door. At first he thought he was dreaming, but the knock came again. He sat bolt upright and looked at the door.<p>

Quarrymen? Dracon's goons? Spencer thought it best not to answer the door.

The knock came a third time and with a voice accompanying it. "NYPD. Open the door."

"Oh, man!" hissed Spencer, looking at the stone gargoyle on the floor. "Oh, man, oh, man, oh, man!"

Spencer jumped up and rushed to answer the door.

"Yes?" he answered, trying to act like there was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.

It was a woman in plain clothes holding a police badge. "Detective Elisa Maza. Are you Spencer Terry?"

"Yeah," replied Spencer.

"Does a Jaclyn Willows live with you?" asked Elisa.

"Yeah," replied Spencer. Spencer's mind began racing through worst case scenarios. Could Jaclyn be dead? Did she kill Dracon? Or worse, did someone see her with the gargoyle last night?

"May I speak with her?" asked Elisa.

"She's not home," said Spencer.

"Oh." The detective was disappointed. "May I come in?"

"Actually, I do mind," said Spencer. "The place is a wreck. Jaclyn's just moving in and there's boxes everywhere. She would bite my head off if I let someone in here with the apartment in the state it's in. What's this about anyway?"

"It's nothing," said Elisa. "She may have witnessed a crime last night. Do you know when she's going to be back?"

"Not a clue," replied Spencer. "We work odd hours. Sometimes we don't see each other for days. If you come by later, you might catch her."

"Thank you," said Elisa.

"No problem." Spencer closed the door. He put his back to it and slid to the floor. "Holy smoke, Jaclyn. What have you gotten yourself into this time?" He looked at the gargoyle. "You're not helping things either, you know."

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><p><strong>I value your reviews. Let me know what you think!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

Elisa waited on the parapets waiting for the sun to disappear below the horizon. She had to tell the others what she found.

The sun went down and the gargoyles roared awake.

Brooklyn was the first to notice Elisa. "Anything?" he asked.

"Just a hunch," said Elisa.

"Better than nothing," said Lexington.

"Did you find the vehicle?" asked Angela.

Elisa nodded. "It belongs to a woman named Jaclyn Willows." Elisa took out a piece of paper that she had folded in her jacket pocket. "Is this who you saw last night, Angela?"

Angela looked at the DMV photo. She nodded. "That's her, yes."

"Did you confront this woman?" asked Goliath.

"I went over to her listed address, but she wasn't there, only her boyfriend," said Elisa. "He looked rattled. I asked to come in and he said no. I think he's hiding something."

"Then let us find out what he is hiding," said Goliath. "Come!"

Goliath picked up Elisa and the rest of them were on their way.

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><p><strong>While Elisa is telling the others what she found<strong>

Spencer was rudely awakened by a crash and a loud roar. He jumped at the sound and fell over the back of the sofa. He peeked around to see what was happening. The gargoyle they helped last night was sitting up, looking groggy. He looked around before getting to his feet.

"Uh, hello?" Broadway said. "Anyone home?"

Spencer slowly stood up from behind the sofa. "Yeah," he answered, his voice cracking slightly.

Broadway grinned. He looked down at the floor. "Sorry for the mess," he said, looking at the stone skin on the floor.

"It's fine," said Spencer. He slowly moved from around the sofa, keeping a wary eye on the gargoyle.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," said Broadway.

Spencer gave him a nervous smile. "Good to know." There was an awkward moment of silence. "I'm Spencer. Spencer Terry."

"I'm Broadway," said the gargoyle proudly.

Spencer's lips twisted in an amused smile. "I can see why," he said, looking at the gargoyle's obvious gut.

Broadway looked down at himself, remembering what had happened last night. He took in the gauze and tape plastered to his chest. "You patched me up," he said, a bit surprised. He looked up at Spencer. "Thank you." Then Broadway frowned. "There was someone else here, right? A woman?"

"Yeah," said Spencer, amazed that Broadway could recall what happened. "My girlfriend, Jaclyn. She's the one who found you."

"Where is she?" asked Broadway, looking around. "I want to thank her."

Spencer sighed and shook his head. "I don't know where she is. She hasn't called since early this morning. I think she's gone and done something very stupid."

"Like what?" asked Broadway, tilting his head questioningly.

"Last night, you told her that Tony Dracon shot you," said Spencer. "She got really angry and after you turned to stone, she left. She said that she was going to see the man responsible. I can only assume she meant Dracon."

"What?" yelled Broadway. "Is she out of her mind?"

"I know," said Spencer. "Then this afternoon, some policewoman was at the door asking about Jaclyn. I almost had a heart attack. I thought she came to tell me that Jaclyn was dead or she killed someone."

"A policewoman?" asked Broadway.

"Yeah, some dark-skinned chick," said Spencer. "She was plain clothes, so I'm guessing she's a detective. Elisa something. I only remember the name because I have a cousin with the same first name."

"Elisa Maza?" asked Broadway.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," said Spencer.

"She's a friend of mine," said Broadway. "Of all of us. She wouldn't have done anything. Angela must've saw Jaclyn. She told Elisa and Elisa came to find Jaclyn to find me."

Spencer hung his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "Oh, this is so bad. Oh, man, oh, man, oh, man. This is not good."

"Actually, it's great," beamed Broadway.

"How's it great?" asked Spencer. "My girlfriend's missing, possibly dead, after she runs after your attacker, the police were here, and now I fouled up the chance of your friend finding you."

There was a tap on the living room window. Spencer and Broadway turned to the window. A second later it opened up and a red gargoyle with a beak and white hair stepped into the apartment.

"Brooklyn!" cried Broadway.

"You're okay," said Brooklyn. "You had us worried."

"Where's everyone else?" asked Broadway.

"Outside," replied Brooklyn. "You gave Angela a major scare."

"Is she okay?" asked Broadway.

"Yeah, she's fine," answered Brooklyn.

A few minutes later, Spencer's living room was filled with the Manhattan Clan and the detective that visited him earlier. Angela was fussing over Broadway, removing the bloody gauze patches from his unmarred body.

"You say she went to Dracon?" asked Goliath.

Spencer nodded, too intimidated to say anything to the large gargoyle.

"We gotta help her," said Brooklyn.

Goliath turned to Elisa. "Can you help us?"

"If you find Jaclyn at Dracon's, no problem," said Elisa. "An anonymous tip should do the trick."

Goliath nodded. "Come. We have work to do."

"Um, excuse me?" Spencer got enough nerve to talk to Goliath. "Can I come along? She's my girlfriend after all."

They all looked at each other. Goliath nodded. "Broadway, you take Spencer."

The gargoyles took off in the direction of Park Manor.

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><p>Goliath landed on the balcony of Dracon's office first. He and Elisa could see that Dracon was sitting at his desk, his head in his hands.<p>

"Looks like Dracon's having a bad day," said Elisa with a smirk.

"His day is about to get much worse," Goliath said darkly.

Dracon jumped when the doors to the balcony opened and Goliath and Elisa appeared. "Maza? What are you doing here?" he asked, keeping a watchful eye on Goliath.

Broadway, Spencer, and the others came in, too.

"Great," Dracon said dryly. "What have I done to have the entire gargoyle squad visit?" He looked at Spencer. "Training a rookie, sugar?"

"Drop the act, Dracon," said Elisa. "Jaclyn Willows — where is she?"

Dracon pressed his lips together tightly.

"Where is she?" demanded Spencer.

"I should have known you would have shown up," said Dracon. "She must have made quite an impression on you, Broadway. Then again, Jaclyn has that effect on people."

"You act like you know her more than just a girl who got in your way," said Elisa.

Dracon glared at Elisa. "Hey! It's not like that!"

"Then what's it like, Tony?" asked Elisa.

Dracon looked like he was about to bite Elisa's head off. Instead he sighed. "I guess you don't see the resemblance."

Brooklyn frowned. "What resemblance?"

Angela was the first to notice. "Dracon and Jaclyn — they look alike."

"Congrats, honey," Dracon said. "She doesn't tell anyone if she can help it. Jaclyn's full name is Jaclyn Annelisa Dracon-Willows. She's my niece."

"Niece?" asked Spencer. "Why didn't she tell me?"

"Would you want people to know that your relative's a mob boss?" asked Dracon. "That's why my sister moved to a small town in Pennsylvania. It was safe there. Now I wish that Jaclyn had stayed there."

"What do you mean?" asked Lexington.

There was a tape player on Dracon's desk. "Listen to this." He pressed the play button.

"Tony Dracon, we have unfinished business," said the voice. It was male and a thick Russian accent. "Yes, Tony, you know it's me, Boris. You shouldn't have double-crossed me. I told you I would make you regret it. Right now, I have something very precious to you."

There was a woman's scream of pain. "Tony, I'm sorry," came Jaclyn's scared voice. Spencer let out a haggard gasp. Broadway could see that Dracon was not enjoying this. The gangster wore a grimace as they listened.

"Now, you have until midnight to get the money you stole," said Boris.

"Don't listen to him!" screamed Jaclyn.

There was a curse in Russian and the distinct sound of someone getting slapped. Jaclyn let out a cry of pain.

"As I was saying, you have until midnight to get the money you stole from me and deliver it to Belvedere Castle," Boris went on. "If it's not there by midnight, I'll start giving your niece back in pieces. She has such pretty ears." He laughed. "Remember, Tony, it's your money or your niece."

The tape ended there and Tony shut it off.

"I can pay the ransom, that's not the problem," said Dracon. "I don't trust Boris. He'll kill her even if he gets the money."

"You can't just leave her there!" shouted Spencer.

"I know that!" snapped Dracon. "I haven't figured out what to do yet."

"Then let us help," said Goliath. "She has already helped us. Let us return the favor."

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><p><strong>The gargoyles and Dracon working together? Hmm. Review!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

It was getting close to midnight. How Jaclyn knew she wasn't sure. The Russians weren't speaking English, but by their tone of voice, they sounded like they were getting ready for something big. Jaclyn was tied to a chair with a blindfold over her eyes and a gag in her mouth. Her cheek still stung from where that man hit her. Considering things could possibly be much worse, she thought herself lucky that was all that hurt.

The men's voices were becoming more excited. Someone came up behind her and untied her from the chair. Her arms were bound behind her back. The man roughly shoved her in the direction he wanted her to go.

"Hello, my dear," said Boris. "Let's see if your uncle paid us. If he did, you get to go home."

Jaclyn guessed at his position and brought up her leg. She kicked him hard in the shin. He swore in Russian and slapped her across the face again.

"Feisty little girl," he said, pain still in his voice.

Jaclyn would smile if she could.

Boris reached behind Jaclyn's back and removed her charm bracelet. "A little something to show to your uncle that I mean business."

Jaclyn yelled through her gag to give her bracelet back, but it was muffled and Boris laughed in her face.

Boris yelled a command in Russian and the man started shoving her again. Jaclyn was forced into the trunk of a car. A moment later the car started.

Jaclyn felt around for anything she could use to cut the rope binding her hands. She didn't find anything sharp enough. Looks like she was doing this the hard way. She began to wiggle, trying to get her bottom between her arms. After a minute of struggling, she got through and pulled her legs through. Now that she had her hands in front of her, she could remove the blindfold and the gag. Jaclyn attacked the knots in the rope with her teeth. These guys didn't know how to tie a proper knot. Within seconds her hands were free.

"Okay, Jaclyn. Now what?" she asked herself.

Doing the only thing she could think of doing, Jaclyn began kicking the trunk lid as hard as she possibly could. It made quite a bit of noise.

"Shut up back there!" yelled one of the Russians.

This only encouraged Jaclyn to keep kicking.

The car stopped and there was some talking in Russian. Jaclyn got ready. She heard the key in the lock. The trunk lid opened and Jaclyn lashed out, her fist connecting with the softest part of the man's torso. Jaclyn jumped out of the trunk and ran for cover. The men drew their guns and fired at her, missing as Jaclyn disappeared into the trees. Jaclyn could hear Boris shouting in Russian. She may not have spoken Russian, but it was pretty clear he was telling them to get her and shoot her.

"Central Park," muttered Jaclyn. "I'm in Central Park."

* * *

><p><strong>At midnight<strong>

Dracon and Glasses were waiting for Boris to show at Belvedere Castle. Dracon had a briefcase filled with the five million that Boris demanded. In the shadows the gargoyles waited. Elisa and Spencer were above, watching everything.

"Now remember," Elisa said to Spencer, "whatever happens, stay in hiding. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Okay," said Spencer. But if Jaclyn was hurt and needed him, he would go straight to her, no matter what Elisa said.

"Boris is late," said Dracon. "It's not like him."

"Do you think something happened?" asked Glasses.

"It better not," said Dracon. "Or I'll shoot him."

Boris came up the steps of the Belvedere Castle.

"Well, where is she?" demanded Dracon.

"Don't worry, Tony," said Boris. "You'll see her soon enough."

"No Jaclyn, no money," said Dracon.

"No money, no Jaclyn," Boris said with a smirk.

Dracon smirked. "You don't have her, do you?" he asked.

"If I didn't have her, would I have this?" asked Boris. He held up the charm bracelet. Even from a distance, Dracon could see that it was the charm bracelet he had custom designed for Jaclyn for her sixteenth birthday. "So, Dracon. What about our bargain?"

Dracon set the briefcase down and shoved it with his foot over to Boris.

"Now!" shouted Goliath.

The gargoyles came out of hiding and subdued Boris without a fight.

Dracon walked up to him. "Where is she?" he demanded.

Boris laughed. "Dead by now," he replied. "The stupid girl, she took off the first chance she got. My men have orders to shoot her on sight. Good luck finding her before they do."

Dracon let out a yell of frustration.

Hudson put a hand on the mobster's shoulder. "Worry not, lad. There are more ways than one to find someone. Asking this man will profit nothing, but the lass' bracelet, that'll do."

Lexington picked up the bracelet and handed it to Hudson. Hudson called Bronx over to him.

"Think ye can find the lass, boy?" Hudson asked as Bronx eagerly sniffed the piece of jewelry.

Bronx sniffed the ground around them before putting his head up and barking. He bolted off into the trees.

"We will search with Bronx and Hudson," said Goliath.

"I'll take care of Boris here," said Elisa, looking down at the Russian.

Goliath nodded. "Spencer, you stay here with Dracon."

The gargoyles took off after Bronx.

"Wait!" called Dracon.

"Let them go, Tony," said Elisa, cuffing Boris. "Goliath and the others will be faster without us."

"What if they don't find her in time?" Dracon asked.

"Bronx has the scent and Hudson is with," said Elisa. "It will take less time than a search and rescue team. They'll find her in time."

"Besides," said Spencer, "this is Jaclyn we're worrying about. She's no city girl. She can take care of herself."

* * *

><p>Jaclyn was running as fast as she could, alternating between running along the paths and through the trees. She had to lose them and by the sound of things she lost them for now. But she couldn't stop. If she stopped, they could catch up to her and kill her.<p>

"Keep going," said Jaclyn. "This isn't any different than the sticks back home."

Behind her there was a yell of shock and pain. Only one yell. Jaclyn listened. Nothing. Everything was quiet. What had happened? Did the guy following her get mugged or something? If he did, talk about karma. Wouldn't there be more screaming involved if he did? Not if it was quick.

Jaclyn shook her head. Why was she dwelling on this? She had to get out of there.

Something caught her attention. It sounded like a hawk when it flew close overhead. Jaclyn looked up. Nothing.

She kept running, this time taking a path and passing under a bridge. How much farther she ran before she stumbled, Jaclyn wasn't sure. She had to stop. Her adrenaline had run out and she had no strength to keep going. Ducking into a dense wooded area, Jaclyn braced herself against one of the larger trees.

Hearing something in the distance, Jaclyn forced her breathing to slow so she could hear.

"We're getting close," said a voice. "These disturbances are fresh." The voice was Scottish, not Russian. Had they called in reinforcements?

"I think I saw her when I flew overhead," said another.

"Girl's fast," said a third.

"Jaclyn!" called a fourth.

The fourth voice sounded familiar to Jaclyn. She looked around, careful to remain out of sight. There were several gargoyles on the path she just came off of. One of them was the one she saved last night. He was okay!

The gargoyles turned to see a young woman stagger out of the trees and stare at them.

"Broadway?" she called.

Broadway beamed. "You're okay. You had us worried."

Jaclyn walked over to them. "I can say the same about you," she said. She blinked sleepily.

Brooklyn walked over to them. "I'll take her," he said. "Come on. People are waiting for you." Brooklyn gently coaxed Jaclyn into his arms, though Jaclyn needed no coaxing — she was so tired.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, after talking to the police, Spencer and Jaclyn went to Park Manor to stay the night with Dracon. Dracon was not letting Jaclyn out of his sight for even a second.<p>

"You know that we have to tell your mother about this." Dracon didn't like the thought, but if he didn't tell his sister what happened, she would drive to New York and Dracon be in traction when she was finished with him. "But we can tell her tomorrow after you get some sleep."

"Do we have to tell her about Spencer?" asked Jaclyn sheepishly. "She thinks I'm staying with a girlfriend."

Dracon stared at her in disbelief. His sister didn't know Jaclyn had a boyfriend. "Oh, my God!"

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><p><strong>And scene! Hope you liked this story. You know the drill, send me your reviews!<strong>


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